Home Maintenance and Repair
Homeownership comes with a substantial degree of responsibility—not only the responsibility of paying for this considerable investment, but that of keeping it in working order. Much like your car, your home will come with its own specific set of needs and peculiarities. The Web sites we recommend in this guide can help you keep your home running properly and teach you how to fix some of the glitches that may turn up from time to time.
Expand All Guide SectionsNecessary Home Repairs and Maintenance
Taking some time to do a little research now about your home’s maintenance needs could save ... read more »
Do-It-Yourself Home Repair
If you’ve got the time and the skills necessary to complete a home repair project yourself, ... read more »
Hiring a Contractor for Home Repairs
Whether you’re too busy or lack the skills required to complete a home repair yourself, you ... read more »
Cost of Home Improvement/Home Maintenance
The cost of home repairs can be hard to estimate with much precision, but we’ve rounded up some online estimating tools to help you plan your budget. Use these estimating tools for other financial considerations you must take into account, especially if your repairs or maintenance projects are substantial.
Dulcinea's Insight
- Remember that any cost-estimating tools you use on the Web will provide just that: estimates. The actual cost of your project depends on a variety of factors, such as the exact size and scope of the repairs, the quality of the materials used, and even the state in which you live.
Dulcinea's Picks
For home repair estimates …
Home Inspector Locator
isn’t a pretty Web site but it does have an extremely useful, detailed chart of some common home repairs, such as roofing or plumbing work, with cost estimates for each specific type of project.
The Old House Web
has a list of home remodeling and repair projects with estimates of the project costs from Freddie Mac, an entity created by Congress to “provide liquidity, stability and affordability to the housing market.”
For help keeping costs down …
CNNMoney.com
presents an article from “Money Magazine” that suggests keeping your home repair bills down by shopping around for repairmen before you discover a problem in your home. That way, you’ll already have someone you can trust, instead of first trying to find someone when faced with an emergency repair.
The National Association of Home Builders
notes the importance of homeowner’s insurance when it comes to repairs and maintenance on your home. Learn how to double check whether you have enough coverage for when serious repairs are required.
© 2012 Dulcinea Media, Inc.
